EDU 201 FOUNDATIONS OF EDUCATION

SYLLABUS
 

Course Information

Course Overview: 

A foundation is the structure on which a building rests.  It is the first part of a building that is built and the final strength and durability of the building is primarily a factor of the strength and durability of the foundation.  The shape and style of the foundation will determine to some extent how the final building will appear.  The career you are building is like that building.  For your career to be strong and your tenure as a teacher to be successful it must also have a good foundation.  That is the purpose of this course to help you build this foundation.
    The foundation of a building is concrete, mortar and bricks.  The foundations of teaching is professionalism, philosophy, governance, finance, ethics, curriculum, and instruction.  These are the topics that will be introduced to you this term for your study.

Description: 

In this course attention will be given to the historical, philosophical, and sociological foundations underlying the development of American educational institutions.  The role of the schools, the aims of education, and the role of state, local, and federal agencies will be emphasized.  Some field experience will be required.

Course Objectives: 

Students successfully completing this course should be able to:
     1.  clarify their definition of themselves as prospective teachers.
     2.  identify kinds of knowledge necessary to become an effective teacher and identify skills needed to become a successful teacher.
     3.  explain how culture and educational opportunities relate to one another.
     4.  discuss how educators can prepare themselves for the future in a changing world.
     5.  identify the ways in which structures and functions of schools in the United States vary.
     6.  identify social problems affecting children and youths and explain how these problems challenge schools and teachers.
     7.  provide an overview of the historical development of American education.
     8.  describe various general philosophies and philosophers of education; give your philosophy of education and relate it to a formal philosophy.
     9.  identify the various groups that exert influence on public schools.
   10.  explain how schools are financed.
   11.  identify the legal principles that affect public education.
   12.  the development of a school curriculum.
   13.  identify the characteristics of effective instruction.
   14.  select a four-year institution for transfer; complete a four-year plan for attaining a baccalaureate degree and Tennessee state certification.
   15.  trace the steps in becoming licensed teachers.
   16.  discuss national and state teacher organizations.

Prerequisites and Co-requisites: 

None

Course Topics: 

The course will introduce the fundamental concepts and issues in American education.  Specific topics include:
     1.  the teaching profession
     2.  factors affecting teaching
     3.  school financing and governance
     4.  curriculum and instruction
     5.  portfolio development
     6.  pre-service teacher training.

Specific Course Requirements: 

Course requirements are identified below under the topic "Assessment and Grading".
Textbooks, Supplementary Materials, Hardware and Software Requirements

Required Textbooks: 

 Kauchak, Eggen, and Carter   Introduction to Teaching:  Becoming a Professional, 2nd. 2005.  Merrill/Prentice-Hall
ISBN: 0-13-113771-9

Please visit the Virtual Bookstore to obtain the textbook for this course:  http://www.bkstr.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/StoreCatalogDisplay?storeId=13778&langId=-1&catalogId=10001

Supplementary Materials: 

None

Hardware Requirements: 

The minimum RODP requirements can be found at http://www.rodp.org/students/hardware_software.htm

Specific hardware requirements for this course include:

PC users - A minimum computer system to successfully access all the tools in this course is a Pentium 166 or better with 32 Megabytes of RAM or better and Windows 95 or higher.  A modem,56k or better.
Mac users - Minimum system requirements are a 604 Power PC processor, preferably a G3 (iMacs are included) or G4 processor computer running Mac OS 8.5 or above.  A minimum of 64 Megabytes of RAM, preferably 128 with at least 25 Megabytes assigned to your browser.  A modem, 56k or better.

Software Requirements: 

The minimum RODP requirements can be found at http://www.rodp.org/students/hardware_software.htm

Specific hardware requirements for this course include:

PC users - Communications software: Internet Explorer version 5 or Netscape version 4.58 or later.  Microsoft Word, Microsoft PowerPoint and Adobe Acrobat software.
Mac users -  Communications software:  Internet Explorer 5.0 or Netscape 4.75.  Microsoft Word, Microsoft PowerPoint and Adobe Acrobat software.

Instructor Information

Name and contact information: 

     In-Person:  P-17 Gymnasium, Jackson Campus
        By mail:  2046 North Parkway Street
                     Jackson, TN 38301
          Voice:  731-424-3520 x 260  
                    1-800-355-JSCC x 269
            Fax:  731-425-9566
          Emal:   ccooper@jscc.edu

Virtual Office Hours: 

 The course will be attended daily.

Instructor Response Time: 

 The course will be attended daily.  Most questions will be answered within 1 working day.
Assessment and Grading

Evaluation   Procedures: 

 Your grade in Foundations of Education will be determined by the following procedure.  As you complete activities and class work submit the requested materials to the instructor for evaluation.  The instructor will evaluate your materials and award you points.  Points awarded are viewable by clicking on "Grades" on the Course Menu and evaluations are sent to either through your course e-mail or the Assignment Drop Box.

DISCUSSIONS - 8 topics X 10 pts max. each
                                  =     80 pts maximum
Class participation will be evaluated as to your ability to participate in class discussions by making relevant postings to the Class Discussion Board and by responding to other student postings to the Board.

JOURNAL ARTICLE REVIEWS - 6 assignments X 20 pts max. each     =       120 pts maximum
Reviews will be evaluated as to the student's ability to perform the analyze and summarize the article's content with accuracy and completeness.

EXAMS - 4 exams X 100 pts maximum each
                                 =      400 pts maximum
Exams will be evaluated as to accuracy and student demonstration of an understanding of the material.  Exams will be announced in the Class Calendar.  Exam questions will be of the short essay, multiple choice, or completion type.  Exams will cover materials introduced in both the class web pages and textbook.  The second exam will be counted as the Mid-Term and the fourth examination as the Final Examination for  the course.  All exams are administered on-line and proctors are not needed.

PORTFOLIO=  500 pts maximum
The portfolio will be evaluated as to neatness, organization, and completeness.  The portfolio is expected to demonstrate the student's depth of activity during the course.

TEACHER INTERVIEWS- 3 interviews X 100 pts max. each  =     300 pts. maximum
Teacher Interviews will be evaluated as to the student's ability to ask pertinent questions of the teacher, and to analyze and report her findings.

CLASSROOM OBSERVATION   =     200 pts. maximum
The Observation will be evaluated as to the student's ability to gather pertinent information, analyze the information and to summarize and report their findings.

SCHOOL BOARD REPORT       =     100 pts. maximum
School Board Meeting Report will be evaluated as to the student's ability to analyze and report his findings.

             Total Points  =  1690  pts maximum

Grading Scale: 

Grades will be assigned according to the number of points you have accumulated.
                    "A"     1521 to 1690 points
                    "B"     1352 to 1520 points
                    "C"     1183 to 1351 points
                    "D"     1014 to 1182 points
                    "F"      Below 1014 points

To help you keep up with the points you have earned print out the Course Outline handout.

Assignments and Participation

Assignments and  Projects: 

Assignments and Projects are identified above under the topic "Assessment and Grading"

Class Participation:  

 You are expected to participate in all interactive aspects of the course.  For example, you must communicate with other students via emails and discussion board exchanges.  You are expected to communicate with your instructor on a regular basis (3 to 4 times per week) and check the course Discussion Board frequently for announcements.  You must actively participate in threaded discussion events.  Students are expected to work at a pace conducive to collaborative learning.  That is, don't work too far ahead or too far behind the group.  The class is designed to support student interaction.

Punctuality: 

You are encouraged to work at your own pace, however deadlines are placed on class activities, assignments, quizzes and exams.  You should become familiar with the Class Calendar to determine when materials are due and adjust your study schedule accordingly.  Once a deadline has passed you will be "locked out" of the material.  Materials submitted after the deadline date will not be accepted.  Students that turn in assignments at the "last minute" do so at the risk of not receiving credit due to technical or content deficiencies.
Course Ground Rules
 

Assignments will be presented as noted in the
    course Calendar.  You will have until the due date
    on the calendar to complete each assignment.
All assignments must be labeled properly, that is, the
    assignment type and number must appear in the
    correspondence subject box.
You are expected to communicate with other
    students in team projects, learn how to navigate
    in D2L, and stay aware of course announcements.
    You should use your assigned course email address
    for all communication.
You should address any technical problems
    immediately.
You should observe course netiquette at all times.
Plagiarism, cheating, and other forms of academic
    dishonesty are prohibited.  For further clarification
    see the "Academic Honesty" statement.

   
Academic Honesty
Academic honesty is central to the educational process.  Acts of academic dishonesty are serious offenses and can result in academic penalty.  Therefore, no student shall:
  • Claim or submit the academic work of another as one's own.
  • Procure, provide, accept or use any materials containing questions or answers to any examination or assignment without proper authorization.
  • Complete or attempt to complete any assignment or examinations for another individual without proper authorization.
  • Allow any examination or assignment to be completed for oneself, in part or in total, by another without proper authorization.
  • Alter, tamper with, appropriate, destroy or otherwise interfere with the research, resources, or other academic work of another person.
  • Fabricate or falsify data or results.
  • Commit plagiarism if you submit as your own work: a) Part or all of an assignment copied or paraphrased from another person's manuscript, notes or talk; b) Part or all of an assignment copied or paraphrased from anything published.
  • Act as an accomplice in plagiarism if you: a) Allow your work, in outline, draft or finished form, to be copied and submitted as the work of another; b) Prepare an assignment for another student which he/she submits as his/her own work; c) Keep or contribute to a file of papers or presentations which anyone other than the author adopts and submits as his/her own work.
Guidelines for Communication

Email: 

When using email keep the following in mind:
     Always include a subject line with the number of
         the assignment.  For example "Homework 1"
         or "ACT 15" are acceptable.   A subject line
         entry of "Study Guide Chapter 10" or
         "Financing of Schools" is not acceptable.  E-mails
        without the correct subject line will not  be
        evaluated.
     Even if you are submitting your work as an
         attachment D2L requires that something be
         written in the message panel.
     D2L does not allow the use of symbols in
         filenames of e-mail attachments.  Use
         "Homework 3" or "Governance".  Do not use
         "HWK#6" or "Journal#7"
     It is not necessary to place your name on e-mail
         submissions, D2L does this automatically.
     To see if an e-mail was sent check the e-mail
         OUTBOX.
     Do not use the e-mail for discussing general
         education issues or the content of the course,
         use the Discussion Board.
     Do not use REPLY or FORWARD to submit
         assignments.
     Remember your reader cannot see you, without
         facial expressions some comments may be
         taken the wrong way.  Be careful in wording
         your emails.
     Use of emoticons :) might be helpful in some
         cases.
     Use standard fonts.
     Special formatting such as centering, audio
         messages, tables, html, etc. should be
         avoided unless necessary to complete an
         assignment or other communication.
     Respect the privacy of other class members.
     Submit only one assignment per e-mail.  Multiple
         assignments in one e-mail are difficult for
         the instructor to manage and will not be
         evaluated.

Discussion Groups: 

When using the discussion group keep the following in mind:
     Review the discussion threads thoroughly before
         entering the discussion.  Be an observer then
         a discusser.
     Try to maintain threads by using the "Reply"
         button rather than starting a new topic.
     Do not make insulting or inflammatory
         statements to other members of the
         discussion group.  Be respectful of other's
         ideas.
     Be patient and read the comments of other group
         members thoroughly before entering your
         remarks.
     Be cooperative with group leaders in completing
         assigned tasks.
     Be positive and constructive in group
         discussions.
     Respond in a thoughtful and timely manner.
     Use the "Main" topic discussion area to ask
         general questions concerning the course or
         assignments.

Chat: 

When using chat keep the following in mind:
     Introduce yourself to the other learners in the
         chat session.
     Be polite.  Choose your words carefully.  Do not
         use derogatory statements.
     Be concise in responding to others in the chat
         session.
     Be prepared to open the chat session at the
         scheduled time.
     Be constructive in your comments and
         suggestions.

Web Resources:  

Web Resources are embedded in the Unit Materials.

General resources include: Columbia Guide to Online Style by Janice R. Walker and Todd Taylor

Citation Styles Online http://www.bedfordstmartins.com/online/cite6.html

Library
  TBR Virtual Library

To provide access to library and information services to students The Tennessee Board of Regents Consortium of Librarians has established a virtual library that provides online searches, references, databases, journals, book reviews, and library connections to all TBR Libraries.

This Virtual Library can be accessed by clicking here.

RODP Virtual Reference Librarian
(For questions, assistance, and help with online searches)

Home School Library
For additional services and searches: Students may connect directly to their Home School Library online or go to campus for additional services and searches.

APSU ETSU MTSU TSU TTU
UoM CSTCC CLSCC COSCC DSCC
JSCC MSCC NSCC NSTCC PSTCC
RSCC STCC VSCC WSCC Borrowers Forms
 
Students with Disabilities (ADA)
  Qualified students with disabilities will be provided reasonable and necessary academic accommodations if determined eligible by the appropriate disability services staff at their home institution.  Prior to granting disability accommodations in this course, the instructor must receive written verification of a student's eligibility for specific accommodations from the disability services staff at their home institution.  It is the student's responsibility to initiate contact with their home institution's disability services staff and to follow the established procedures for having the accommodation notice sent to the instructor.

Students with disabilities should make the instructor aware of any conditions that will affect the student's ability to complete course requirements.

Services for Students with Disabilities
These services are provided by your Home Institution.  Please contact your RODP Student Campus Contact for more information:  Community College RODP Student Advisor, University RODP Student Advisor, TTC RODP Student Advisor 

Syllabus Changes
  The instructor reserves the right to make changes in course materials, requirements and content.  The syllabus located within the course is the official Syllabus and should be reviewed by the student at the beginning of the class.
Technical Support
 

I
AskRODP Help Desk (toll free number 1-866-550-7637) or go to the AskRODP website at:  http://help.rodp.org/

If you are having problems:

  • logging into your course
  • timing out of your course
  • "technical" related issues for D2L (it takes a long time to click around my course)
  • using your course web site tools

If you contact Technical Support by phone please be at your computer and be prepared to provide the following information: (If you do not know the information below please call 1-866-550-7637)

  • Your username
  • Your password
  • The URL, (address, "http://...") you are unable to access
  • Your instructor's name
  • Your course number, section and name (EX:  IT1001N01  Intro to Microcomputers)
  • Are you using a PC or MAC
  • Your operating system (Windows 98, NT, 2000, etc.)
  • Browser type and version (EX:  Internet Explorer 5.5)